Stafford Rangers v Trafford

REPORT

Stafford Rangers slipped to a home defeat as bottom of the table Trafford scored a late winner at the Stan Robinson Stadium.

After twice going behind, Rangers looked to have snatched a point when Jimmy O’Neill levelled the scores with four minutes remaining but the visitors went straight down the other end and claimed the points from a corner.

Rangers named the same starting XI that had earned a point with a 0-0 draw at Mossley a week earlier but the defence was breached in just the 5th minute when Callum Wilson’s attempted clearance came back off Dana Amaral. Charlie Frost set up Brad Byrne to fire home from the edge of the area although keeper Arron Davies will probably feel that he should have done better.

Five minutes later and some scrappy play ended with the ball bouncing nicely into the path of Frost and he put Trafford 2-0 ahead.

Stafford were immediately on the search for a route back in to the game and Jack Birch nearly found it with a shot from the edge of the area that Sam Booth could only parry but Taylor Dyson cleared the danger before Kaiman Anderson could pounce on the loose ball.

But the goal wasn’t long in coming and, on 23 minutes, Birch’s corner was met by the head of Scott Wara and placed past Booth.

Wara went close to a second soon after while Anderson and Wara both had shots blocked following a scramble.

With Stafford keen to get level before the interval, Birch and Ash Fallon fired wide while Birch forced a near post save from Booth after electing to go for goal with a free kick but it was Trafford who held the lead as the two sides went in at half time.

Booth had to be alert when John Atherton stuck out a foot to deflect Fallon’s shot and Anderson was also denied by the Trafford keeper.

But the Trafford defence was unable to hold out and Rangers equalised on 62 minutes when a super ball over the top from Andy Burns picked out Callum King-Harmes. His cross picked out Birch at the back post where he place his volley under the body of the Trafford keeper.

One sensed Rangers would now go on and win it but the visitors had other ideas and just five minutes after Stafford had got on level terms, Trafford were back in front with outstanding strike from Dyson that beat Arron Davies from some 30 yards out.

Still Rangers fancied something from the game and although Wara was at the forefront of their efforts, it was O’Neill who seemingly salvaged the point when he hooked the ball home following a corner on 86 minutes.

But there was still more drama in store and it came from Trafford on 87 minutes when a left wing corner bounced off the thigh of Theo Farquharson and inside the far post.

Callum Wilson came closest to making it 4-4 with a late effort after Booth had dropped the initial cross but Jack Higginbottom headed clear.

Stafford Rangers: 1 Arron Davies, 2 Callum Wilson, 3 Andy Burns, 4 Ashley Fallon (12 Logan Cousins 55m), 5 Scott Wara, 6 Jimmy O’Neill, 7 Callum King-Harmes, 8 Jack Birch, 9 Kaiman Anderson, 10 Joe Thomas (15 James McQuilkin 73m), 11 John Atherton (16 Mason Rees 55m). Unused Subs 14 Kingsley Adu-Gyamfi, 17 Tomasi Wara

Trafford: 1 Samuel Booth, 2 Sean Higgins, 3 Theo Farquharson, 4 Jordan Fagbola, 5 Harry Norris, 6 Dana De Oliveira Amaral, 7 Brad Byrne (16 Kris Smith 64m), 8 Taylor Dyson (15 Jack Higginbottom 90+2m), 9 Charlie Frost (17 Prosper Imarhiagbe Obasuyi 77m),  10 Matthew Davies, 11 Jack Sloan (12 Benjamin Horne 86m). Unused Sub: 14 Henry Brown

Goals: Stafford: Wara 23m, Birch 62m, O’Neill 86m   Trafford: Byrne 5m, Frost 10m, Dyson 67m, Farquharson 87m

Referee: Dave Hinton

Cautions: Fallon, Anderson (Stafford), Norris, Sloan (Trafford)

Att: 668

Report by Chris Elsley